1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft divan to be utilized within a passenger compartment of an aircraft so as to provide a comfortable, strong, yet substantially lightweight seating assembly for passengers within the aircraft. The divan being structured to be easily and effectively mounted in an adjusted, variably aligned orientation, depending upon the spacing constraints of the aircraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many private as well as commercial aircraft, due to the desire to provide a substantially elegant and comfortable appearance and due to their manner of use, deviate substantially in their interior accommodation from what is generally encountered in most commercial, mass transit aircraft. In order to provide a comfortable "lounging" environment or multi-passenger seat assemblies, specially constructed divans (sitting or lounging assemblies in the form of chairs and sofas) are utilized. These divans must be constructed to strict specifications, due to the substantial guidelines set forth by aviation regulation committees such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), such that the use of conventional furnishings secured within the aircraft will not suffice.
In particular, the FAA places significant structural requirements on all interior aircraft furnishings, the structural requirements generally relating to the amount of load they can support and more importantly, to their crash resistance or "crash worthiness." As such, these furnishings, such as divans, can generally not be framed of wood, but rather must be made of a strong, rigid metal.
Presently, high strength steel tubing is utilized to construct divan frames. Steel tubing is the preferred metal material because of its high strength, and further, because it meets the FAA requirements when formed into a framing structure. More importantly, steel tubing is readily available in varying dimensions and can be relatively easily welded to construct a strong divan frame, whereas other materials cannot be as easily welded. However, there are substantial drawbacks involved with using the steel tubing which necessitate an improved method of constructing an aircraft divan. Specifically, one drawback is the requirement that all welded tubing segments be formed of a like metal in order to insure appropriate securing. Another drawback is that the welding of materials is both time consuming and requires special skills and training in order to be performed. Yet another and highly important drawback to welded steel structures, involves the substantial weight associated with the use of steel tubing or other weldable materials of sufficient strength. Because weight is such an important consideration in the flight time and fuel consumption of an aircraft, the incorporation of sizeable furnishings utilizing the steel tubing can seriously diminish the fuel economy of the aircraft. Therefore, heavy, welded steel frame divans are not only an appreciable cost to the consumer when purchased and installed, but also will provide a significant added cost to the operation of the aircraft containing those furnishings. Moreover, because of the generally nature of welding, such as due to warping and deflection, welded structures are highly susceptible dimension and tolerance variations.
Accordingly, there is a substantial need in the art for an aircraft divan which can be constructed in such a manner so as to meet the structural requirements for use in an aircraft, while minimizing the additional weight which must be carried by an aircraft utilizing the furnishings. The structure of the present invention is constructed specifically to meet the needs by utilizing strong, yet lightweight, weldable or non-weldable tubing in such a manner as to form a strong rigid frame as required for aircraft furnishings.
Additionally, it is further noted that when installing various interior furnishings space constraints are usually a significant consideration. For example, it is often preferred to mount various seating assemblies such as divans very close to bulkheads or side walls of the aircraft. Such mounting, however, is not always feasible with existing designs, because standard mounting fixtures can often not be positioned as close as desired to the vertical wall assembly. In particular, the floor mounts must be effectively secured at a stable, rigid, preset location, which usually required at least a small off set from the vertical wall. Moreover, it is often desirous to mount various interior furnishings along a similar fastening point and utilizing the same mounting fixture such that some compromise as to the precise mount location for the mounting fixture must be made. As such, a certain degree of off set is usually required and it would be beneficial to provide a divan assembly which can compensate for the required off set, while still providing for secure and stable fastening within the aircraft. Moreover, because of the limitations associated with the actual fastening points within the aircraft and at a seat track, the dimensional inaccuracies of welded designs can often substantially complicate installation. As such, a more precisely constructed and dimensioned divan assembly would be highly beneficial.